Airborne Cold Remedy = Snake Oil

Apparently the clinical trials that they manufacturer cited as proving its effectiveness to treat colds never really happened. Don't you hate it when the details get in the way of a good idea?

The good news for consumers (family, I'm looking at you) is that you can get some money back from the lawsuit that's just been settled. Here's a NYT blog explaining the whole deal.

Via BoingBoing

Life Update

Life has been busy, a situation that results in very few blog posts but is otherwise quite good. The main culprit is Ravenchase, of course. It's quickly becoming more natural as I produce more public events, more regularly (check out the Europe page to see what's coming up) and begin to make the corporate contacts that will turn it into a financially sustainable operation. Outside of Ravenchase there has been a bit of work teaching some English and getting the an environmental presentation ready, but the focus has been on the big R.

Happily, Esther and I have been doing a lot of long term planning. I made a calendar in Adobe Illustrator that Esther said looked like a subway map. I took that as a huge compliment (go clean design!). Suffice it to say that we're happy to be together and to be planning decades into the future.

Here are some things that I've been keeping myself busy with:

• Reading Overcoming Bias, especially this post about the virtues of narrowness and this post about confronting what you fear the most. There are some very smart people there, it's frustrating to not be able to read it all.
• Watching The Wire. Many critics are saying that it's the best show on television and we have to agree. We're almost caught up with the new episodes.
• Listening to The Beatles Revolver over and over and over...
• Taking plenty of pictures. Here's a sample of what I've come up with:
  
  

In short, things are good. Here's hoping that it's the same for all of you.